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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
EPIGRAPHIA INDICA independant states for themselves in the mountainous regions of Citral, Yasin, Gilgit, etc., generally known as the country of the Dards’[1] is not therefore borne out by facts. We have shown above that the Darada Shāhis were in occupation of those parts from a much earlier time. Stein recognised, on the authority of Cunningham, that the title Shāh, ‘ has been borne for centuries back by the Dard rulers of Citral and Yasin ’, but was not sure whether it was of Muhammadan origin or was connected with the royal title of the Shāhis of the Kabul valley.[2] According to Tibetan sources, the Gilgit region was known as Bruśa whose rulers seem to have some connection with the rulers of Udyāna (Swat). According to the same source, the kings of Bruśa had the title of dēvaputra. We know that this title was borne by the Kushāṇa rulers ; but neither the inscription under consideration nor the Mss. from Gilgit give this title to any of the rulers of the Āditya dynasty. It is known that the Bon religion was once popular in Bruśa and Bon priests from this country were invited to Tibet.[3] The Ms. of Bastan ‘byuṅ gives the name of one of the kings of Bruśa as Sad-Zver.[4] This ruler cannot, however, be identified at present Probably he was one of the earlier rulers who flourished before Buddhism had been firmly established in the Gilgit region. These rulers of Gilgit were probably of Iranian origin as the use of the title Shāhi indicates. The name Paṭōla is also un-Indian. Due to their close connection with the Iranians, we need also not be surprised at the use of the title Sarāṁgha of Iranian origin. I cannot identify Makarapura. The ancient name may have now been replaced by one of Muslim origin. The stream referred to in the inscription may be a branch of the Ishkuman river if not the main river itself. The other places with the exception of the forest mentioned in line 6, have been identified above. I edit the inscription from the photograph and the tracing supplied by the then British Political Agent at Gilgit.
TEXT
1 Om[5] svasti ||[6] sa[ṁ]vatsarē [sa]ptachatvā[riṁ]śa[ti]tamē 47 Pōshya(Pausha)-śukla-
trayō[da]śyāṁ 13 śrī-Bhagadatta-vaṅśa(vaṁśa)-saṁbhūta-paramabhaṭṭā-
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[1] Dutt, ibid., Introduction, p. 36.
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